


6.9 billion outcomes, and somehow we ended up here

by TjLockticon



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Big brother Dream, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death Fix, Crack Treated Seriously, DadSchlatt, Eggpire on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Manhunt!Dream gonna duel the irresponsible adults of the server for custody of Tommy Innit, Manhunt!Dream looked at SMP!Tommy and did not wait to ask to adopt him, Manhunt!Dream would punt SMP!Dream into the fucking sun and we all know it, Parallel Universes, Phil's parenting sucks in this but we will make him do better, Prison, Protective Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Temporary Character Death, Traumatized Tommyinnit (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), canon divergent from after Tommy gets trapped in prison, doppelgangers, interdimensional hijinks, the family dynamic is all fucked up but we're here to fix it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29829339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TjLockticon/pseuds/TjLockticon
Summary: Dream just wanted to have a fun manhunt with his friends. He didn't expect his stunt with the TNT to get the four of them launched through a glitched portal into a dimension whose version of himself is apparently in prison, and also apparently a horrible manipulative villain with a penchant for traumatizing teenagers.If someone had told him this is how his day would go, he would've just gone back to bed. But hey, it's not all bad. How often does one get to kick their own evil doppelganger's ass, after all?This is going to be so much fun.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Clay | Dream & Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 106
Kudos: 848





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an incredibly stupid idea but we all know Manhunt!Dream would kick SMP!Dream's evil ass, and if no one else is gonna make that happen, I guess I'll just have to do it myself

Dream is the first one to arrive on the freshly-made server, a warm breeze blowing through his hair. Stretching his arms above his head, he cracks his neck, anticipation coiling in his body like a string as he waits for his friends to join him. It's been a while since they had their last manhunt, and after the clusterfuck of the last one's conclusion (Bad _still_ thinks Dream should've had to make it through the portal for his win to count), Dream is looking forward to claiming an undisputable victory. 

After a few minutes, George, Sapnap, and Bad join within seconds of each other, the air warping with a _pop_ as they spawn in for the first time. Dream greets them with a wave; Sapnap shoots him a competitive glare, cracking his knuckles. "You ready to die, Dream?"

"Hah, you wish," Dream grins, rocking on his heels with brimming excitement as his friends form the traditional circle around him. He pulls his cloth mask up over his mouth and nose, eyes darting around the circle. He taps quickly into his admin code, and an intense melody ramps up in the air, making his pulse pound. George rolls his eyes at Dream's theatrics, his attention momentarily lapsing, and Dream takes that moment to sprint past him into the trees, the manhunt officially underway.

"He's going!" Bad shouts. "Stay on him!"

Dream laughs, adrenaline pumping through his system. He's missed the thrill of the chase, the sound of his best friends shrieking behind him as they try to run him down. The server generation is kind to them this time around; barely thirty seconds into the manhunt, Dream bursts out of the treeline into a village, bolting for the ruined portal on its outskirts. Things go a bit downhill when George loots almost a full set of iron armor and a sword from the blacksmith, but it's a piece of cake to get away. Dream wishes he could see the looks on their faces when he dives straight off a cliff, landing on a haybale - he can hear their shouts of disbelief as they scale down the normal way, giving him a few precious minutes to grab resources.

Sapnap is, as ever, relentless in his pursuit, his raw athleticism a near perfect match for Dream's acrobatics. They leave George and Bad far behind as they race across an open field, Sapnap taunting, "The horses won't save you this time, Dream!"

Dream retaliates by punching Sapnap into a pond, wheezing when his best friend finally teeters in with a loud splash. The scuffle does give George and Bad a chance to catch up, though, and a few lucky hits from Sapnap's sword leave Dream with some nasty cuts on his bicep, the hem of his sleeveless green hoodie now shredded.

"Ohhhh my _god,"_ he groans, wading out into the swamp, jumping over lilypads in a desperate bid for distance. "Just leave me alone!"

"C'mere, let's just talk!" Sapnap calls across the water, sword glinting dangerously in the sunlight. Bad and George finally show up, boats skimming across the surface of the water; things get a bit ridiculous when Dream manages to steal George's boat, and the hunters erupt into loud bickering as Dream yells at George to get out of his stolen boat. They get a few good hits in on him when he crafts a pickaxe, forcing him to ditch the boats and sprint for the relative safety of deeper ocean waters.

Finally, he catches a break when they lose him in an underwater cave. Sure, he almost drowns, but the operative word here is _almost,_ and he almost breaks into laughter upon hearing their distorted confusion come across the coms.

The timing couldn't be more annoying when they finally track him down again in the caves, jumping him just as he's finally gotten an iron pick, a cluster of diamonds ripe for the picking abandoned in haste. He does manage to swing back around through the mineshaft to get a couple of them, but it's the _principle_ of the thing. It's no fun if the manhunt ends before he can even make it to the Nether, can't they just let him get some diamonds in peace for a few minutes?

His runaround almost backfires on him. Getting pinned in a corner of the wall _sucks,_ especially with Bad screeching at the others to mine him out of his hiding place. Dream's pulse doesn't stop pounding until he's dug up through the wall and sprinted down a dark passage of the mineshaft, a stitch in his side when he finally slows down. Loud complaints echo against his ears as he hears his friends bicker, using the iron from his furnaces to claim the rest of the diamonds he left behind. 

"Oh my god," he complains, digging through the dark for more iron. "You guys got there so quick, that's so annoying."

"No diamonds for you!" they chorus, laughter overlapping as Dream smirks and crafts himself a diamond sword. Somehow the conversation derails into some nonsense about "Furni the Science Guy", at which point Dream just about gives up on eavesdropping on them, since they're clearly not talking about anything useful. 

His ambush with the lava... does not go as planned. Creepers getting dropped on his head from the ceiling makes the escape difficult, and it's salt on the wound when Bad finds diamonds just sitting about in a mineshaft chest. Dream's had just about enough of caves for a while, scrambling to the surface with what diamonds and iron he's got, determined to get a Nether portal up while the hunters are fucking around in the mineshaft.

It's fun hearing them panic when the advancement shows up in chat that he's made it to the Nether.

It's not quite as fun hearing George gasp when the hunters get their own portal working. "Guys! They linked up!"

Dream stumbles. "Wha - what?? No way."

"They linked up!" George cheers. "He's gotta be nearby!"

_Oh, no._

Things go from bad to worse when Bad exclaims, "Guys! The compass works in the Nether now!"

"Oh, no, no, no," Dream groans, dragging his hand down his face as he scrambles through a crimson forest, kicking himself for forgetting about the alterations to the compass. "Oh, I just totally muffined up."

It takes them no time at all to track him down.

"He's right here!!" George shouts. " _C'mere, Dream!"_

"Oh my _god!_ Leave me alone!!" Dream's ankles almost twist as he leaps down a sheer cliff, landing with a heavy impact as George springs down after him. "You've got diamond and you're _enchanted?_ Are you kidding me??"

"Kill him!" Bad shouts.

Dream's shield and the fortunate geographic placement of a soul sand valley are the only things that save him. None of his friends are quite as good at block-hopping as he is, and the soul sand drags them down as he manages to put some more distance between them. His lead doesn't last long, though; he's pinned down near the edge of a lava lake on a peninsula of basalt and blackstone when the three of them come out of _nowhere._

" _What??_ How??"

"Get him!" Sapnap bellows.

"He's on the edge of a lava pool, he's got nowhere to run-"

"Oh, Dreeeeaaam-"

Racing down to the lava lake, Dream summons a handful of extra boats from his inventory, left with no choice but to commit to one of the riskiest ideas he's ever put into play in any of the manhunts. The victorious taunts of the hunters immediately morph into shrieks of shock and disbelief as Dream throws the boats down on the lava, jumping across them even as they sink and burn, barely making it to the other side with little more than some scorching on his boots.

"What just happened??"

"What did he just do? I have _never_ seen that before!"

Dream can't help bursting into laughter. It's great that even after several manhunts, he still has ways to surprise his friends. They're getting better, but they're still not quite good enough, and he has a feeling already that this manhunt is his to dominate. They very nearly catch him in the walls thanks to Sapnap's keen ears, but he slips away mostly undetected, silence falling around him as the music subsides.

Eventually, he breaks the tension. "So, how are you guys doing?"

A cacophony of screams reaches his ears, then silence as Dream halts in place, startled by the sound.

Sapnap coughs after a second. "We're great, thanks for asking."

The timing is so ridiculous, but it sends Dream into a fit of laughter anyway. Finding his way to a Nether fortress is fairly uneventful, although he does luck out with piglin trades along the way, and is nicely entertained by Sapnap singing ridiculous songs about wanting to kiss people (namely Dream, which sets off more fits of wheezing laughter). The hunters stumble upon a fortress first, but Dream crosses his fingers that they've found a different one.

Apparently, karma is not on his side today, because he's barely made it into the fortress before he turns a corner and finds all three of his friends waiting to ambush him.

"OH MY GOD," he screeches, running for his life as his armor takes the brunt of the sword strikes. 

_"Get him!"_

"Hello, good sir!"

The chase across the fortress makes panic spike in his bloodstream, the first few solid hits making his skull ring. The tide starts to turn in his favor when Sapnap gets stuck in lava and Bad gets distracted by a wither skeleton, leaving George to tank every single one of Dream's hits. He puts up an admirable fight, but by the time the others come to back him up, it's too late; with a scream, George falls beneath Dream's sword, inventory exposed for Dream to grab his blaze rods.

His knees buckle as he pearls away from the fortress, Sapnap and Bad baffled at his sudden escape. George complains loudly through their coms, respawning all the way back in the overworld with none of his gear. The music picks back up, drumming in Dream's ears as he runs back to the Nether portal, pearling across dangerous lava lakes and basalt causeways, finally making it back to the portal just as Sapnap and Bad catch up to him.

Dream tries to lose them in a roofed forest, but Sapnap ignores the arrows Dream puts into him and flings himself across the treetops, shouting, "This is for George!"

(Never mind the fact that George is literally right below them, getting his gear back from Bad. The thrill of the chase is too much fun, and they all get a bit too invested in their roles in the heat of the moment.)

"I'm back! I'm back in the game!" George cheers ecstatically as Dream fights Sapnap one-on-one. He almost manages to bring his friend down, but George pearls in at the last second, bringing down several brutal hits against Dream that put him on the edge of death. At that point, Dream can't tell whose screams are louder - his or Sapnap's. Everyone is shouting incoherently as Dream makes a break for the trees, armor cracked across his chest, blood pouring from a wide gash inflicted by George's axe.

George eventually pulls back, post-death fatigue catching up to him, but Bad and Sapnap chase Dream down with renewed fervor. Exhaustion is starting to pull at Dream's bones from the relentless pursuit when he pulls another trick out of his sleeve, digging down into the ground after pearling away. Relief surges through his chest when Bad and Sapnap fall for the trick, baffled by his disappearance as Dream runs as far as he can.

 _"What??"_ Sapnap exclaims in the distance. "Where'd he go??"

"He blocked off! Just dig him out!"

It's all Dream can do to keep himself from laughing and giving the secret away. The diversion only lasts until they think to check their compasses, but by then he's managed to bandage his injuries and kill some pigs for food. George is the one to pick up his trail again, chasing him down to the ocean. It isn't much of a chase after that; none of them have a boat, and Dream leaves them far behind him, sailing off into the horizon.

The hunters take their sweet time catching up to him again, giving him a chance to set up another end crystal trap. At some point Bad starts singing a song about what they plan to do when they find Dream, which, after killing him, apparently includes backing him into a pie. George and Sapnap join in, and for a few minutes Dream strongly considers just giving himself up and letting them end the manhunt, just so he doesn't have to listen to them sing horribly off-key about baking him into a pie.

He's not really paying attention to their blabbering when they suddenly burst through the wall of his tunnel, chasing after him with shrieks and taunts. He bites down a curse under his breath when they notice the end crystal too early; he detonates it behind him and flees again, up through the ceiling of the cave as they desperately try to dig the blocks out from underneath him. They very nearly manage it, but he sneaks away in the nick of time, back on the surface again.

And then they reach the stronghold before him.

"Oh my god," Dream groans, seeing all three advancements show up in his chat simultaneously.

"Oh, look at this! Look at this!"

_"YES!"_

"No, you didn't," Bad gasps, echoing Dream's disbelief, although Bad's tone quickly changes to excitement. "We're right here!"

"Alright, boys," Sapnap laughs, "are we doing it right now?"

"Might as well."

Three more advancements appear. Dream stares at them in shock, eyes wide. "Wait - _what??"_ Are they seriously trying this?? "Guys - you realize you can't get back without dying, right?"

"We don't need to get back," George says triumphantly.

"You're done, Dream!" Bad laughs.

Dream stands still, blinking slowly. "So you're just going to trap the spawn?"

They descend into taunts and laughter, already sure of their victory. As Dream listens, the music shifts in his ears, and a wry smirk spreads across his masked lips. If they want to play the trap game, he can play it just as well - better, in fact. And trapped as they are in the End, there's nothing they can do to stop him. While they set up whatever trap they have planned, Dream gets to work immediately, hunting creepers and digging up sand. The process goes a lot quicker when he stumbles upon a desert temple; prize secured, he heads back to the stronghold, twelve pieces of TNT on hand.

Ditching anything that won't be useful in the dragon fight, he heaves a sigh, clearing his throat. "I've gone over the scenarios in my head," he announces, "and there are 6.9 billion outcomes, and in only _one_ of them do I win."

"Pfft," Sapnap snorts. "Okay."

"I think the odds are in _our_ favor, then," Bad says. "Can you just come through already?"

"Yeah, stop taking your time, Dream," George teases.

"There's no helping it, you _will_ die."

Dream lines up the TNT carefully, lighting them from the top down. He hesitates at the bottom row, waiting until the last second, before he sends the whole thing through.

There's a beat of silence, and then-

_"WHAT??"_

"No!"

_"GEORGE-"_

With a peal of laughter, Dream jumps through the end portal, the sound of exploding TNT still echoing on the other side. His friends' screams are faded, distant, as the energy of the portal crackles around him, filling his head with a roar that only grows louder and louder, and the TNT explosions seem a little too loud, too close. They should've already stopped exploding by now, it should be safe to spawn on the obsidian platform.

Except, when Dream spawns in, there's no obsidian to catch him. His stomach drops as a rush of static rips through his head, and a secondary explosion blasts him from above.

He falls.

The void reaches up to swallow him, and he reaches for _something_ \- a pearl, a command code, his _friends_ \- but nothing is there. The music cuts out with a jagged, static-laced screech, and pain lances through his skull.

The last thing he thinks he hears is one of his friends shouting his name.

Then it all goes dark.

* * *

Tommy's heart pounds in his chest as he stares at Dream from across the prison cell. This visit has gone on for too fucking long, and he feels so tired. His head is foggy the same way it always is when he talks to Dream, but he's finally, _finally_ starting to feel some clarity. His eyes narrow on the disheveled figure of Dream, his prison clothes baggy on his frame, his mask covered in grime as it hides his expression, dirty long hair falling over his shoulders.

Gritting his teeth, Tommy says, "I'm _done,_ Dream, do you understand? I'm done here. You may have ruined my past, but you will _not_ ruin my future."

Dream cocks his head to the side slowly, letting out a hoarse chuckle. "Oh, Tommy. I'm trying to change, and be better. You could _help_ with that. You can still come visit me every now and then-"

"Fuck off, mate," Tommy snaps, dragging his hands through his hair, the heat of the lava intense against his back. "You're a loser, cuz you _lost,_ bitch. I'm done here."

Dream's emotionless voice is haunting. "Forever?" he murmurs.

"Yeah," Tommy says coldly. "Goodb-"

Around them, the prison suddenly trembles, and _panic_ surges through Tommy's blood as he hears-

Explosions.

_TNT._

"...What the fuck??" Tommy whispers, shrinking away, wide-eyed gaze darting to the ceiling of the cell as Dream slowly sits up. The explosions sound like they're on top of the prison, not close enough to damage the cell, but - is someone attacking?? Is Dream trying to _escape?_

Spinning on his heel, Tommy rushes over to the lava wall. "Sam! _Sam!_ Let me out!"

More TNT. More explosions.

He can't do this. _He can't do this._

"Sam!!" he shouts, a desperate, pleading edge to his voice. "Sam! We're done here! Let me out!"

Behind him, Dream chuckles quietly. "I don't think he can hear you, Tommy."

No. No, no, no, no.

This can't be happening.

When the prison alarm sounds off a moment later, an automated voice issuing a _lockdown,_ Tommy almost breaks down sobbing. He can't do this, he can't be trapped, this can't be _happening -_ this was supposed to be over, he was supposed to go home and never have to think about Dream again, and now-

Now he's trapped in a box. _With Dream._

"Lockdown, huh?" Dream muses. "Well, Tommy... looks like we have a lot more time to talk now." A hand comes down on Tommy's shoulder. "We'll have so much fun. Remember all the fun we used to have when you were in exile?"

With a shuddering gasp, Tommy wrenches his shoulder away from Dream, rounding on the man with red, teary eyes. He staggers backwards, the heat of the lava pressing up against his back, threatening to catch his clothes on fire. Hyperventilating breaths squeak past his lips as he hugs his arms to his chest, shaking as despair rapidly sets in. Dream's mask smiles at him, and the sight of it makes bile rise in Tommy's throat.

"No," he croaks breathlessly, "I can't do this - I can't do this-"

"Tommy," Dream says, "you don't have a choice."

Tommy's head spins. The prison walls wobble, turning blurry, and then the cell tips sharply to one side.

He drops to the floor, and merciful darkness claims him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What in the fresh hell am I even doing anymore
> 
> *spams bell like Technoblade begging for subscribers* FEED ME COMMENT
> 
> -
> 
> I have a [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/teejay_kaye)! I sometimes post art and other writing things I'm working on over there :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patches, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn ok so I guess you guys like this ridiculous fic - reader yak_I_guess, if you wish to wed me at dawn, be prepared to duel my GF for the honor-
> 
> Anyway holy shit thanks for all the lovely comments, I'm really glad you guys like this xD
> 
> Now, I wonder where our boys ended up...?

Waking up to a screaming headache after a manhunt is usually par for the course for Dream. Forcing one's body to rapidly adjust between Overworld and Nether and End dimension atmosphere takes its toll even on the hardiest of people. (Sapnap usually ends up adhering to his namesake and passing out for two days after each one, usually demanding cuddles along with it.) So it's not surprising how sore Dream is when he blinks awake, bleary and dazed.

The flamingos, however, are rather unexpected.

There's a gaggle of them clustered around Dream as he opens his eyes, the closest one bent over him and pecking at his hair. The birds scatter as he sits up abruptly, immediately regretting it when his head spins. With a low groan, he gets to his feet, the flamingos sounding off a series of raucous squawks like a bunch of awkwardly proportioned hot pink alarm bells. Dream's brow furrows as he takes in his surroundings; he's in some kind of castle courtyard, judging by the architecture.

A castle with flamingos and a rainbow flag. Sure, why not.

Dream runs his hand through his hair, bewildered. This definitely takes the cake for the weirdest resolution to a manhunt so far. "George?" he calls out, wandering through the courtyard, leg muscles aching. "Sapnap? Bad?"

No response. Brow furrowing, Dream checks the com on his wrist, only to find it completely dead. His frown deepens as he gives it an experimental tap, hoping to jolt it back to life with a little help from his admin code.

Big mistake. The second he tries to access that familiar reservoir of delicately balanced power that lets him modify server code at a whim, pain splits through his skull. He drops to one knee with a yelp, grabbing the sides of his head. The backlash subsides quickly, leaving him breathless and shaken; a sense of dull shock washes through him. When he cautiously risks a second attempt, the server doesn't just rebuff his efforts; it's like there's no code to latch onto at all. There's just dead silence, like he's glitched out, a ghost on a server that doesn't recognize him at all.

What the actual hell is going on?

* * *

Muffled, anxious-sounding voices drag Sapnap out of darkness. He comes to with a groan, his head throbbing, splintered wood digging into his back. Sunlight beams down on his face through what looks like a hole in an unfinished roof; he blinks groggily, trying to sit up as the world wobbles beneath him.

"Whoa, easy does it, Sap," a man's voice says from somewhere beside him. The next thing he feels is a steadying hand on his shoulder; his vision focuses slowly on a young man, probably around his age, with a short brown undercut and a multi-toned purple hoodie. Recognition clicks hazily - he's encountered this man a few times for events on mutual servers. He seems nice, if Sapnap remembers correctly. He's a bit fuzzy on the man's name; he wants to say it starts with K.

"...Karl?" he hazards a guess.

The man smiles with relief, his hand gently cupping the side of Sapnap's head as he seems to check him over for a wound. Footsteps shuffle closer, and Sapnap's gaze drifts to find _Quackity_ of all people kicking pieces of broken wood away. (Belatedly, Sapnap notices he seems to be lying in what used to be some kind of table, which is now broken in half.) Quackity fixes on Sapnap with a worried look, blurting out, "What the fuck, babe? Were you trident flying or something? You fell through the goddamn _roof."_

"I... _huh?"_

"You broke the _pool table-"_ Quackity says in disbelief, staring at the mess as Karl helps Sapnap slowly to his feet.

"How's your head feel?" Karl asks, voice heavy with concern as Sapnap leans on him for stability. Within a moment Sapnap registers the feeling of Karl's fingers running through his hair, and it's at this point his brain catches up to the situation, and he officially feels weirded out. His fellow hunters and Dream are nowhere to be seen, and now a man he barely knows is - being all touchy-feely with him. It's not _unpleasant,_ necessarily, just - really jarring.

"Whoa, personal space, man," Sapnap protests, pulling away once he's regained his footing.

Things just get weirder when Karl looks at him with _shock._ Even Quackity looks kind of appalled, making Sapnap shift uncomfortably as his furrowed gaze darts between them. "What?"

"...Sapnap, are you sure you're feeling okay??" Karl asks in a quiet, vaguely distressed tone.

Sapnap dusts off splinters from his shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just - kinda confused, I was just at the end portal with George and Bad waiting for Dream, and now-"

The two of them tense up abruptly. Karl stiffens, drawing in a sharp gasp, while Quackity's eyes widen in shock as he cuts in, "Wait, _what??_ You were - with - what the _fuck_ are you talking about, babe, Dream's - Dream's still in prison, isn't he?? What do you mean you were at the end portal with him??"

Sapnap's ears ring. "I-" Wait. _Wait._ His brow knits with confusion, stare fixing on Quackity. "First of all, what's with the 'babe' talk, and second, what the hell do you mean Dream is in _prison,_ we were just doing a manhunt together...?"

Karl goes statue-still, grabbing Quackity's arm as Quackity stares back at Sapnap, mouth agape.

"Guys," Sapnap says uncomfortably, confusion beginning to shift towards distress. "What the hell is going on?"

Everything about this feels wrong - the longer he stares at them, the more inconsistent details stand out. Karl's got faint burn scars across his neck and cheek, and Quackity has a faded but nasty-looking scar across his lip. Sapnap hasn't seen either of them in a while, but he's pretty sure he would've heard about them getting hurt, wouldn't he? _Someone_ would've mentioned it, surely. Their stances seem guarded, their expressions suspicious, like he's a stranger - and honestly, he kind of feels like he is.

"... _Are_ you Sapnap?" Karl asks warily.

Sapnap sputters. "Uh - yeah?? Last I checked, at least? Who the hell else would I be?"

"Well, clearly you got hit way harder in the head than we thought." Quackity gives Karl a worried look. "Fuck, you think he's got amnesia or something?"

Karl bites his lip. "I'm... not sure."

"I don't have amnesia!" Sapnap insists, dragging his hands down his face. "Look, guys... I don't know what to tell you. Before I woke up here, I was with Bad and George and Dream doing a manhunt on one of Dream's servers, and last thing I remember happening was Dream sending a shitload of TNT through the end portal and knocking us all into the void. I blacked out and then I guess I... fell through your roof or something. So unless Dream got himself thrown in prison while I was knocked out, he's gotta be around somewhere. If we find him, I'm pretty sure he can clear things up."

Quackity and Karl exchange another silent glance, clearly having an entire conversation while Sapnap just stands there awkwardly. He feels like he's been left out of some elaborate inside joke, except neither Quackity nor Karl seem to find this situation very funny. If anything, they seem on edge and borderline _afraid_ , especially whenever Sapnap mentions his best friend's name. He's never seen anyone react to Dream like that, and to say it's unnerving would be one hell of an understatement.

Eventually, Quackity scoffs under his breath. "Yeah, sure." He gives Sapnap a look that feels cold, and uncertain, and so many other things that Sapnap can't quite comprehend, held behind a guarded, distrusting stare. "Why the hell not? Let's go find Dream."

* * *

"Geeeoooorge."

Fuck, his head hurts. "Mrmph."

"George, you muffinhead, get up - you're squishing me-"

Something squirms underneath him. A ringing whine fills George's ears as he forces himself to wake up fully, his goggles askew and gunpowder from the TNT still staining his arms and clothes. With a hacking cough, he rolls to the side, flopping onto his back as Bad sits up and looks around wildly.

"Where are we?" George coughs, observing that the area around them definitely isn't the world spawn he remembers. He and Bad are sprawled out on an oak plank walkway, the looming shadow of a tall building falling over them. Squinting up, George's gaze locks onto the words _"Big Innit Hotel"_ painted in large, uneven letters on a sign.

He blinks. Is that supposed to mean _Tommy_ Innit? Did they finish the manhunt and go to one of the shared servers? Did he just somehow black out through the whole thing?

Bad holds out a hand, helping him to his feet. "I don't know. Do you remember what happened after that TNT blew us over the edge?"

George shakes his head. They should've respawned as soon as they died to the void, but... the most he can remember is falling for a lot longer than they should have, and then nothing. He feels like he just got dropped off a cliff, though; his joints crack with every motion, and his head throbs with dull, persistent pain. Bad doesn't look like he's faring much better. His hoodie is scorched from the TNT explosion, the hood fallen from his head, his hair and glasses smeared with a layer of gunpowder mixed with dried blood.

Taking a glance around the area, they both stiffen with surprise as they see more buildings, rising out of uneven, jagged terrain. None of them seem to match a singular aesthetic, and quite a few of them look like they've taken creeper or TNT damage. The area is strangely quiet, seemingly devoid of people. It's eerie, like the abandoned servers George and his friends have explored before, discarded by their admins and moderators and left to decay. 

"You think anyone's around...?" Bad wonders aloud.

George shrugs and cups his hands to his mouth. _"DREEEEEEAAAM!"_

Bad clamps his hands over his ears, wincing away from George. "A little warning next time?? My ears are still ringing."

"Sorry." George frowns at their surroundings, a little disappointed that his brilliant strategy to provoke Dream into appearing didn't work. "Do you think Sapnap and Dream are pranking us?"

"He was about to win that manhunt," Bad sighs. "No way we would've been able to get back before he killed the dragon. Do you really think Dream would pass up the chance to rub it in our faces just so he could... I don't know, send us to some random server?"

George sighs exasperatedly. "Look, I don't know! He's done weird shit before-"

"Language-"

"-and this doesn't feel like a server glitch, so what _else_ could've happened?"

Bad drags his hands down his face. He goes quiet for a moment, lost in thought, before his expression suddenly brightens and he digs into his pocket. After a moment of rummaging, he pulls out the compass, grin broadening as it swivels and points down the walkway. "Yes! It still works!" He elbows George in the shoulder, then winces when George lets out a pained yelp. "Oh, sorry. Well, look - whatever's going on, let's just find Dream and ask him, okay?"

Massaging his shoulder, George shrugs. "Sounds like a plan."

He still can't quite shake the feeling that something is _off,_ something they're not seeing. For the moment, however, he bites his tongue and follows Bad, jogging down the walkway together and following the compass towards their friend.

* * *

Things only get weirder when Dream leaves the rainbow castle. In the course of wandering aimlessly through a world he doesn't recognize, he stumbles upon an enormous crater in the middle of the city, the sheer quantity of _devastation_ making his head spin. The creepy red vines growing out of the base of the crater make his skin crawl, and a dizzying sense of vertigo overtakes him as he stares over the lip into the ruined crevasse.

What the hell did this?? Withers? TNT? A hundred charged creepers all at once? It's _baffling._ Dream's never seen this level of destruction before, and it leaves a sick feeling in his stomach as he looks at the destroyed ruins on the edges, houses torn apart and not rebuilt. It's clear some time has passed since... whatever happened here, greenery has begun to grow back into the crater (along with those vines). For some reason, nobody seems to have tried to fill the crater back in or repair the damaged buildings. It's like the people of this server have just... left the crater here, like a scar.

His pace quickens as he moves on, jogging into the still-intact portions of the city in search of - well, _anyone_ at this point.

For a little while, it seems like the entire city is abandoned. There are small pieces here and there that seem cared for - patchwork gardens and bee enclosures and ponds full of fish - but the rest of it just seems... gutted, and a little rotten. There are half-built redstone contraptions, walls covered in torn, burnt posters, railways that lead to nowhere and wooden walkways that end in creeper holes. Somewhere there's a siren blaring, at least until it gets cut off. The city feels trapped in limbo, like an unhappy medium between an anarchy server and the grandiose servers Dream sometimes visits with his friends for tournaments.

He couldn't be more relieved when he _finally_ finds someone, spotting a familiar headband adorning a figure currently herding some stubborn cows into a pen.

Dream grins, momentarily not questioning what Sapnap is doing with a bunch of cows - he's just glad to find a familiar face. "Sapnap!" he calls out, sprinting over.

Instantly, things go wrong.

First, Sapnap flinches, spinning so fast he nearly falls over. Dream slows down as he approaches, brow furrowing with surprise as Sapnap's eyes widen with shock and confusion and _horror_ , the expression so viscerally sincere it makes Dream's blood run cold. He skids to a halt a few feet away as Sapnap backpedals into the fence, hand flying to a sword laying atop a barrel next to him and pointing it straight at Dream.

Dream's stomach twists with uncertainty and alarm. This isn't how Sapnap acts in a manhunt, not even when Dream catches him off guard. He's _shaking,_ sweat beading on his brow as he stares at Dream, exclaiming in a strangled voice, "How the _fuck_ did you get here?!"

"Whoa, chill out," Dream protests, holding up his hands in surrender, "I don't think the TNT was _that_ bad-"

"You can't be here," Sapnap snaps, a panicked edge in his voice, "Sam - Sam's not supposed to let you out, how the _hell_ did you get out??"

"I... what? You mean out of the End?" Dream blinks, grasping for answers and finding none. "I don't... I don't know, actually, last thing I remember was jumping through and then I woke up at this rainbow castle with a bunch of flamingos."

Sapnap's mouth opens and closes, his terrified expression shifting more towards anger, the grip on his sword not relaxing at all. "What the hell are you talking about, _you_ closed off the End, did you - is that how you got out??" His glare sweeps up and down Dream's form. "And why do you - why do you look like that? Cuz if that's supposed to be a disguise, it's a pretty shitty one."

"Uh." Dream honestly isn't sure how to respond to this. Everything about this situation feels so _wrong._ He's never seen Sapnap look so afraid, but what's worse is - there's _hatred_ in his glare, too. A hatred that goes beyond just his eyes, a hatred that burns clearly in the way his shoulders tense, the way his knuckles whiten as he grips the sword. Dream freezes in place, at a loss for words, mouth going dry as he struggles to process the absurdity of it all.

For a moment, neither of them speak a word. Dream's pretty sure neither of them even _breathe._

Then, the tension is broken by the sound of voices in the distance, calling Dream's name. He exhales a shuddering sigh of relief, recognizing George and Bad, though he doesn't miss the way Sapnap flinches again at the sound. Making sure not to move too abruptly, Dream lifts his chin and calls out, "Bad! George! Over here!"

In a moment, he hears the rapid patter of footfalls.

Several sets, actually. From three different directions.

The first people to arrive, thank god, are Bad and George, and their faces light up with visible relief when they see Dream. The moment is cut short when a pair of figures emerge from down another pathway, fully armored and armed to the teeth, an amusing contrast of height between a short young man with scruffy brown hair and burn scars on his face, and... someone who is either _really_ committed to an aesthetic, or is actually half enderman. The two of them jolt to a halt as soon as they spot him, the taller one letting out a strangled screech of alarm and just - collapsing, as the other one moves to protectively stand in front of him.

Dream would probably be a bit more concerned about what he just watched happen if it weren't for the third party to arrive.

Turning towards them, he vaguely recognizes Quackity, and Karl Jacobs - he's met them a few times, at tournaments. However, he just about forgets that they're there at all when he sees Sapnap leading their charge, panting for breath like he's just sprinted across the entire city.

Dream's gaze fixes on him for a moment, then snaps back to - _Sapnap._

What the fuck. _What the fuck._

"Uh, Bad," comes George's voice from behind Dream, "are you... are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Wha - _Sapnap??"_ Quackity squawks, jerking to a halt.

Sapnap - the _other_ Sapnap, the one who very clearly isn't _Dream's_ Sapnap - does a truly impressive quadruple take, jaw dropping open. The Sapnap with Quackity and Karl falters, blinking profusely at his doppelganger before he breaks away from his stunned tagalongs and rushes over to Dream. The relief on his face is mirrored by Dream's own as they all but collide, Sapnap breathlessly rambling, "Dream, what the hell, man?? Where are we?" His voice drops to a whisper. "Why are there _two_ of me??"

"I have no idea," he replies in a thin, hushed tone. As George and Bad sprint over, he gives them a smile, visible in the way his cheeks lift beneath his mask. "God, I'm glad to see you guys - are you okay??"

"Yeah, yeah, we're fine," George says dismissively, sweeping a bewildered look over the scattered onlookers. Quackity and Karl have raced over to the other Sapnap's side, all three of them huddling together and murmuring to each other, casting suspicious, unsettled looks towards Dream and his friends. "Hey, uh, either of you care to explain what's going on?? Since when did you have a twin, Sapnap?"

"I don't," Sapnap whispers. "But uh. Quackity and Karl must've thought I was... him. They were acting all clingy with me when I woke up."

Dream feels his headache starting to come back with renewed intensity. He isn't given much longer than a moment to enjoy the reunion before he catches movement in his peripheral vision, spotting the trio of Quackity, Karl, and Not-Sapnap running over to the other two.

"Hey, isn't that Tubbo?" Bad wonders aloud.

Dream narrows his eyes. It was a bit hard to tell at first, considering the armor and scars, but that definitely is Tubbo - and Tubbo, he notices, is shaking when the others reach him, just the same way Sapnap was. He hasn't stopped staring at Dream, his eyes bright and full of fear, and it makes Dream's stomach twist into knots. A strange, nagging suspicion gathers in the back of his mind as he watches the older trio fuss over Tubbo and Tubbo's seemingly unconscious companion.

Experimentally, he tests his admin code again.

Still nothing. As far as this server seems to care, he just doesn't exist - and he's starting to get the feeling his friends might be in the same boat.

"Guys," he murmurs, "do your coms work?"

All three of them shake their heads. "Compasses are on the fritz, too," Bad mentions. "They kept losing you."

The other people are starting to stalk towards them, weapons drawn. Dream speaks quickly, tone low. "Okay, um, these guys really don't like me for some reason - the other Sapnap was kind of terrified of me, actually. I don't know if they're gonna try to attack us or something, but just - try to keep cool, okay?"

Uncertainty and surprise coloring their expressions, George and Bad nod. Sapnap seems unfazed, though. They circle around him, sticking closer than they do when the manhunts start. Dream would laugh at their defensiveness on his behalf, if it weren't for the fact that the grim seriousness on the faces of the people approaching make him feel so terribly cold, tension coiling in the pit of his stomach.

"Dream," the other Sapnap snarls, "I'm only gonna ask this once, before I drag your sorry ass back there. What the hell are you doing outside the prison?"

 _"Prison?"_ George and Bad echo, baffled. Sapnap only sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose, and Dream has a feeling he heard the same spiel from Quackity and Karl.

"Sap..." Karl asks, his tone and expression unreadable, "are you... are you _sure_ that's Dream?"

The other Sapnap makes a half-desperate gesture in Dream's direction. "Of course it is! Just because he changed his stupid outfit a bit doesn't make it _not_ him!"

Karl doesn't look convinced. "That's not what I meant."

A flicker of uncertain hope fills Dream's chest at Karl's skepticism. Everyone else is too caught up panicking over his presence, but Karl seems to be processing the same doubts as Dream, lining up inconsistencies and arriving at a ridiculous, improbable, borderline _insane_ conclusion, that somehow is the only thing that makes a lick of sense. 

"Look, uh…" Dream clears his throat, hiding his hands up as non-threateningly as possible, "I don't know what Dream you guys are used to dealing with, but I'm pretty sure I'm not him."

Not-Sapnap scoffs. "Yeah, _sure."_ His glare shifts to Dream's side, landing on George. "Did you help him with this? What, did you two fucking _clone_ me or something??"

"Sapnap," Karl cuts in, hand wrapping around Sapnap's arm and tugging him back. "This may sound crazy, but I think he might be right."

Not-Sapnap sputters, trying and failing to muster a response. For the moment, Dream's just happy he seems to have forgotten about keeping his sword pointed at Dream - and Dream's friends, by proxy. Quackity hasn't yet lowered his sword, and neither has Tubbo, though he's staying a good distance away. Before anyone else can speak, Karl holds up his hand, communicator band on his wrist glinting in the sunlight. "Look, everyone just… calm down, for a second. I'm going to com Sam and ask him what's going on at the prison, okay?"

A few pieces slot into place, and Dream guesses the siren he heard earlier probably came from this prison these people keep talking about. "Fine by me," he says, "we don't want to cause any trouble."

"Ohhh, it's a bit fucking late for that, homie," Quackity snaps.

Dream resists the urge to roll his eyes, simply appreciating the exasperated glare Karl shoots at Quackity before he lifts his wrist up to his mouth and speaks into the com. "Hey, Sam? Is everything good in the Vault?"

Everyone is silent in the long moment it takes this Sam person to answer. When the com crackles to life, a monotone voice comes through. _"There has been a minor security disturbance. The prison is under lockdown. Do not approach until the situation has been resolved."_

Karl's eyes are unblinking as he stares at Dream. "And the prisoner?"

Another pause. Then-

_"The prisoner is secure in his cell. Do not approach the prison until the situation has been resolved."_

The com goes quiet after that. Not-Sapnap and Quackity exchange a disbelieving look, but their grips on their weapons ever-so-slightly relax. Dream exhales a sigh of relief - which, admittedly, is a bit unnecessary, _he_ knew he wasn't in prison, after all. Still, it's comforting that there's now at least _some_ tangible proof that he's not the person that these people seem deathly afraid of or vehemently pissed off at. Whoever this Sam person is, his words clearly carry weight, and Karl breathes out slowly, carding his hand through his hair.

"Well," he murmurs, mostly addressing the two men at his side. "I suppose that settles that."

Not-Sapnap purses his lips. "I still don't like it. Dream could've-"

"Sap," Karl says with a heavy sigh, "just - just trust me on this, okay?" His voice drops low, so quiet Dream almost doesn't catch what he says, but years of tournaments and months of manhunts have honed his senses, and his keen ears just barely snag a whisper of, "This isn't the first time I've seen something like this happen. I don't think it's the same as what I've seen, but I think we should hear them out. Give them the benefit of the doubt, you know?"

Not-Sapnap grumbles something, but despite his obvious distrust, he lowers his sword. A beat goes by, and Quackity does the same - Tubbo follows a moment later, his arm dropping limp, as if it's taken all his strength to keep it up until now. 

"Okay, first things first," Karl says, his voice slightly cracking, clearly uncomfortable with all the attention on him suddenly, "uh, we should probably get Ranboo inside, and - we should com Puffy and Tommy and Jack and Niki, and Foolish and Eret if they're around..." He elbows Not-Sapnap. "See if you can get ahold of George. Tell everyone to meet us at Church Prime." Giving Dream and his friends a hesitant, hopeful look, he asks, "Could you join us? I think... I think there's a lot we need to talk about."

Dream exchanges a glance with Bad, George, and Sapnap. A smidgen of tension ebbs from all their bodies, though he's sure they all feel the same dread that's sitting cold and heavy in his stomach.

"Sure," he replies after a moment, trying to smile and feeling it falter. "Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Dream: my doppelganger is evil :(~~
> 
> ~~Sapnap, chilling with his doppelganger and his doppelganger's 2 fiancés: that's rough buddy~~
> 
> -
> 
> I have a [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/teejay_kaye)! I sometimes post art and other writing things I'm working on over there :D


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